Wasting away in Stephenville … a story of CBH’s ... still going!
pursuitofliberty
Posts: 6,640 ✭✭✭✭✭
Okay, if you know me, and you knew I won “way too many” lots in this sale, you probably also knew that eventually, I was going to tell a tale. Not everything I know, or the whole backstory as I know it, but maybe little bits and pieces.
To the seller … if he should read this ... thank you! I owe you a beer. And I will gladly buy you a good one should we find ourselves in the same place at the same time. Maybe two if I like you. The opportunity to buy what I was able to buy in this sale, was probably a once in a decade chance for me (for which I have had two such occasions in the last 12 months).
Anyway, after two weeks of anticipation, last night the box with my winnings was showing at the FedEx office, and after confirming it was indeed there, I scooted my butt over there and grabbed it before closing.
When I tell you “way too many”, the number of CBH’s in the box was in the double digits, which, especially with some of these, is far too many to process and fully appreciate in one sitting. Sensory overload, for sure!
But alas, I looked at every one, thrilled I extended myself and kept a few out to admire late into the night before stashing them away.
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Let’s start with just one and I will update this thread with a new entry every day or two until you guys are sick of the thread, or I run out of new coins and stories to post from this sale.
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Let’s back up a little … last January, while I was intently trying to figure out which coins I should buy from a big for sale list I was given from my good friend @lkeigwin , the FUN show was just about to start, and there were a few coins in Sheridan Downey’s MB#55 I was admiring as well, ready to pony up some money to obtain.
Lance got a good chunk of the set aside money from me (and I got some fantastic coins!), and I focused on two coins in MB#55 that I really wanted.
One such coin I was Lot #60, a handsome 1809 O-102 XXX Edge in P55cac. The coin had captured my attention, and I wanted her. Back and forth I went, calculating my bid, and then, as the internet bidding closed, I was the high bidder.
Eureka!
Or not.
As some of you may know, Sheridan also accepts “Mail Bid” sheets up until the Internet closes, and then tabulates the final bid over the next hour or so, before posting the official winner.
Well crap. I was the underbidder.
Many expletives came forth from my mouth, none to be repeated here.
Alas.
Fast forward to early September, I see a coin that looks vaguely familiar in a HA auction I have just started to study. Stephenville. Huh. No clue.
Wait.
I know this coin. Hold on.
I ran the certification number. For whatever reason I am still not sure of (many more than one coin in this sale was affected), no previous sale.
But I know this coin. I really need to see better images.
And then it hit me. I immediately went to Sheridan’s site. Son of a gun. There she was, again! And believe me, HA’s images, as much as I understand them, are no match for the images that guy that helps Sheridan does!
And then, as things started to become even clearer than even the best images, as I started to realize this wasn’t the only coin in the sale I had seen recently.
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Now, if you think I agonized over numbers in January, you have no idea what these revelations did to me this time around!
But, by the time two Mondays ago came around, I was ready.
I left work early … got home 15 minutes before the opening lot went off, set a couple proxy bids, and made sure I was ready.
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By this time, @pnies20 and I are texting. He’s so funny sometimes. We need to record a webcast of us doing a live auction sometime. Some of the things we texted were hilarious. I can't even imagine if we'd have been on a Zoom! I’ve never had so much fun participating in an auction!
Anyway the first lot up for me is the 1809 O-102. By this time though, the prices we are watching seem low.
I text, “If this is the only one I win, I’ll be happy”.
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My proxy bids one increment …
… and holds.
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Holy Guacamole! WooHoo!!
I had just won this beauty for $1,200. less than I was prepared to pay last year.
And the rest of the auction got even MORE interesting!!
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watch for updates to this thread soon
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Here she is … credit to @lkeigwin for the amazing images! Man, what a lovely coin in hand!!
1809 O-102 (102.1), PCGS AU55cac
Formerly MB55, Lot#60 where was described as such by the venerable Sheridan Downey; "An absolutely charming example of this scarce Red Book variety. Lovely pearl-grey toning sparkles with luster. The O.102 is a common die pair, but only early die states appear with the Experimental XXX Edge. The coin is everything you expect and hope for in a CAC approved AU55."
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Comments
That is what I call a forever coin.
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
Lovely coin and an awesome write-up can't wait for future installments!
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
Wow… that is one gorgeous bustie!
I love the skin on that one 👍
$1200 less...
Damn man that is way cool...
Okay, one more tonight just to keep your appetite up for more. There are so many more!
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I said I was after two coins in MB#55, right? Well, actually there were more, but by the time that auction was winding down, I was out on all but two. We’ll see some of the other ones from that auction later in this auction.
But at that time I thought I also had the Lot #82 in MB#55, a gorgeous 1821 O-104a museum piece … but then I lost out a few minutes before the close. Then the lot then got hit again after the close, similar to the 1809 I showed earlier.
So, I was shutout for the MB#55 Sale. Nothing. Nada.
But for those who know, something seemed amiss. There were some MASSIVE last-minute bids. Not just these two lots I have described, but many.
Semi-nuclear “suction whale” things going on. If you don’t know, the story is hard to explain … and maybe I don’t understand 100% … but a lot of us started to realize what we thought happened afterwards. Someone was feeding.
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Back to two weeks ago … here I was, feeling incredibly fortunate I just won the 1809 I had pined for, and one of the next lots coming up was … yep, you know it … Lot #82 from MB#55.
By this time, @pnies20 and I had seen a couple of lots with spirted bidding, so I figured I just got lucky, once. Probably not again.
Just to clarify my bidding strategy, I have a sheet that I make that has what my maximum bid is going to be, even if I don’t enter it as a proxy. It’s in front of me, and I know that I can only go a cut bid to one full increment over that price. It’s a promise I hold myself too (usually quite successfully), because I do my research and I rate the coins desirability TO ME … and there is always a price I have to step away. Just like a year ago.
.
Okay. Here we go.
Or, as @pnies20 says ... Let's go!!!
Bid. Counter. Bid. Counter.
Well that’s it, that’s my maximum.
I prepare to get taken down as we’re still $ 800. back from last time, and frankly, I think this is a special coin.
But again ... my bid holds!!
Holy cra* Batman!! Another one!!! The two I felt the worst about not winning last January (as I was so close) just fell into my lap.
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You wanted to read and see more, right?
Right??!
And oh my, and there is so much more … and you'll check again soon, right??
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But first, here she is … via another awesome @lkeigwin image and description by Sheridan Downey
1821 O-104a (104.4), PCGS AU58
Formerly MB55, Lot#82, ex-Prouty; "Stack’s June 1977 Connecticut Art Museum Sale, lot 281 as Mint State. A last-minute consignment from Keith Davignon. The coin is breathtaking, featuring a glossy crust of “museum” toning, with halos of golden iridescence. Maybe a little cabinet friction under the toning. Maybe not. Prouty and Davignon found the coin irresistible. You will too."
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
LETS GOOOOOOOO 💪🏻
Just to actually add something of substance:
I was pretty dialed in on this auction. Knew almost every coin’s provenance and what they probably looked like in hand. Totally whiffed on this ‘21. Such a great series of collectors have owned it and it’s spectacular.
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
I can see why you were happy to snag these two. Well done.
Mark
Absolutely beautiful! I hope I'm not bidding against you in tomorrow's Stack's sale :-)
Just plain OUTSTANDING!!
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
Man… those surfaces on the 1809 are perfect. Congrats!
oofhnehsvsnkcbfgwtajnxkcoev
...that's all I can say...
Great job my friend, these coins you have your eye set on are outstanding. Keep it up!
@habaraca and I will stick to the parking lot damaged coins.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
BHNC #AN-10
JRCS #1606
Those are two beautiful Ladies, @pursuitofliberty
They couldn't be in better hands. Congrats and enjoy.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Pliny the elder would be proud of your storytelling. And doing your homework really pays off. Excellent acquisitions!
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun
Awesome storytelling and awesome coins.
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
Successful BST transactions with: Namvet Justindan Mattniss RWW olah_in_MA
The coins are beautiful but these stories are awesome! This auction sounds like so much fun. Thanks for taking the time to do the writeups for us.
Two great coins, congrats! Can't wait to see the rest of your acquisitions.
Doug
Great wins, congrats. Looking forward to seeing more.
Day 2 - Thank you for all the comments so far. Hopefully you're all still game for following along ... this is kind of fun!
It's also been very cathartic for me. I needed to do this to keep it all in perspective and provide a greater appreciation of what transpired.
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Since the first two coins I’ve highlighted here came from MB#55, I’m going to skip over the next four lots I won as they were not part of that sale.
Let’s move on to the other of the MB#55 cast offs I found.
Cast offs.
Yeah. No.
I mean NO!
Absolutely mind numbing to see them again so soon, just 9 months later.
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Anyway Lot #35 of MB#55 was a coin I have hand scribbled notes from when I first saw the images, but if I even got a bid in on that sale, I was quickly thrown under the bus.
And probably run over, at least twice. I mean, like not even close. It always takes two, and this lot closed for over $6.k with the juice. The previous sale, 10 years prior to that, was for over $5.K.
I was probably the under-under-under-under-under bidder in January.
But, like you have all probably started to figure out, I’m a crazy Nut, so I had her on my list for this sale.
Why? Oh, you’ll see.
Because she is freaking gorgeous!
Okay. I need to calm down and tell the story.
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So, I was 27 lots from my last bid, where I had won a really cool 1826 O-112 in P55 for a very favorable price (which we will come back to later). That piece has a kind of funny story, after it arrived here, and is way nicer in hand than I expected.
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Anyway, I looked at my maximum price and I thought to myself … yeah, no freaking way.
But, what the heck. There’s a little room before I max out. Let’s see how bad I get beat.
A few bids in and I sat dumbfounded as the clock ran to zero, and I still had room to run.
My winning bid, with the juice? A whopping 52% of last January’s price. WTF??!
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Now, I must go back and say, @pnies20 and I were having a running commentary over the course of this auction, and a lot of the prices did not match up with what we would have expected. Some seemed fair. Some even felt warm.
But generally, whether it was the day, the images, the general lack of descriptions … or maybe the fact the whole thing seemed to be put together a little too fast and was only on-line for maybe four weeks … a lot of coins seemed to be begging. And we were really starting to wonder what was going on.
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At this point, there is a little voice in the back of my mind that says something like …
Dude, either you are the luckiest Nut alive at this moment … OR … the music just stopped and you’re the last man standing … naked, in the cold.
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And for that moment, I really wondered.
Then I looked at the image again. And I took a long, deep breath.
And somehow, I decided I didn’t care.
Something overtook me, and with the infectious spirit of @pnies20 having somewhat overtaken me, I shouted to absolutely no one who could hear me (except maybe my neighbors, maybe) … LET’S F****** GOOOOO!!!
Realizing he couldn’t hear me … I texted him that sentiment for good measure.
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Oh, you want to see?
Really??!
I should turn this one into an NFT and sell off shares!!!
I mean ... coin porn.
You know it when you see it.
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Five bucks (kidding!) if you guess the photographer and the cataloguer. Neither is me.
1827 O-116 (116.1), PCGS AU58cac
Formerly MB55, Lot#35 ex-Osborne, where it was described as such; "A fantastic coin. Original to its core. My favorite coin in the Osborne consignment. The O.116 was a mid-level R.5 for many years. Quality examples such as this are supremely rare. The immaculate surfaces and antique toning are to die for. The coin lay in a New England Museum for decades, surfacing in Stack’s/Bowers’ May 2013 New Orleans National Money Show sale (lot 337) along with a few other stunning bust half-dollars. Tim found the coin irresistible and was happy to land it …”
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
😨
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
Stunning coins Buddy....So glad you bagged them! I know you appreciate and love them!
What the heck is going on??
My take away... sell with SD.
Do your buying out in the wild!
More amazing coins Todd.. no need to come up for air 😂
I am a believer that having coins such as this just presented as a clinical grade and Overton number does them a great disservice....hence the bargain basement prices when compared to a sale 9 months earlier. The real difference is the audience. When it is time to auction off my Large Cents I am certain placing them in an EAC auction would produce substantially better prices than any weekly HA online auction.
Congratulations on acquiring such stunning CBHs.
Also The sale started at 3pm on the west coast and ran simultaneously with another primarily CBH auction.
When the sale started there were 3 or 4 folks bidding overall. It started to pick up in the 1820s.
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
Gorgeous CBH's!
Looking forward to your next posts,,,
Congrats!
I have to space it out a little. It would be overload for all of you too!
Hopefully this two a day thing works okay, and you all won't lose interest.
I'll try to do another one or two tomorrow.
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By now you can imagine I am having all kinds of thoughts. First, I’m thrilled. This is an understatement.
While I’m into this sale for real money (for me), and there’s still some good-looking lots left on my list, if it all ended there, I’m delighted.
Yet the nagging little questions linger in my brain. Why are the prices soft? Am I really whistling in the wind? Am I missing something?
I’ve been immersed in seriously studying this series for several years now. It has been the most fun I have ever had collecting I thing, except maybe when I lived in Seattle in the very early 90's and used to walk the local and regional shows, sometimes with my toe-head boy in tow. To say I have been infected with the “fever” underestimates the power that CBH’s have gained over my collecting focus. Certainly I am not as knowledgeable or skilled as some, but I feel pretty confident in my abilities.
Anyway, I think the second guessing is pretty natural. I had lost a few lots in the sale, but for the most part I was winning, and the prices overall were lower than I expected. When your winning percentage is high, I think it’s human nature to second guess ourselves a little.
And so the thoughts creeped into my mind.
Am I the whale?
Now, I know this last one is not true. There were many (MANY!) outstanding lots in this sale and I won but a handful (well, maybe two handfuls!). I don’t typically move the needle, and certainly wouldn’t here.
But I can tell you, these thoughts were all there.
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Some days when I go fishing I try and try, and a good day is one good fish. Some days I get skunked, and it’s just a day out in the wild. And some days it’s more like catching than fishing.
This was definitely more like catching.
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Thankfully the next lot up was still a little ways off, and so I had time to watch and ponder and think a lot of this through.
Earlier, I had made a comment to @pnies20 about how I wished I would have studied more coins, especially as we watched some beauties go by with very little interest. But I hadn’t looked at all of them closely enough, and so there was really no way to properly bid.
It’s probably good I didn’t, as I would have bid on coins that weren’t on my list.
But leave it to fate … the next coin I would win was NOT on my list.
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What happens when you’ve looked at a coin closely and decided, well, that’s not really for me, but it is an interesting piece, and is certainly rare … and then, as you watch live, you recognize that coin you looked at a week ago and it has a bid of about 15% of what it last sold for?
You also know it’s as rare as advertised (kudo’s to HA), even though there are mistakes in at least one of the primary guides for rarity (which is being corrected).
This is a coin where I had no extra data, no better images, nothing but a quick line from my first group of notes (before I paired down to the final list).
15%. Yeah, whatever.
I tapped the bid button.
Once.
And the clock struck zero.
Oh My God.
If you thought I had worked my way through second guessing myself, this re-ignited those feelings like a raging inferno!
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We’ll come back to that coin later. It’s a coin that has its own stories, but I’m going to day with the ex-MB#55 coins first. Sheridan's descriptions never disappoint and my good friend @lkeigwin takes some outstanding images.
I simply wrote WTF on the page … sliding some quick data between the lines before the next coin that WAS on the list. I was becoming numb.
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Okay, I must say, I really wanted this next coin on my list too.
I have a thing for caky, crusty, thick and original toning in CBH’s, and the next lot up was Lot #91 from the now infamous MB#55.
This is a coin that is more in line with my regular wheelhouse, kind of like the fabulous 1809 O-102 XXX Edge I started this whole story off with. Well, more in line with what I dream of I should say. Actually finding these gems is another matter entirely.
This one had some spirited bidding for a minute, and I was sure for a moment there that she would not be mine … but my last (and maximum) bid held, and I was again victorious.
No great bargain, but another hefty discount from January. On any other day the quality of this coin and the relative value would probably qualify as the overall highlight, and an excellent score. But again, this was NOT any other day.
Rest assured however, she is no afterthought!
Oh my, I LOVE this coin!
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1827 O-130 (130.1) PCGS AU55cac
Formerly MB55, Lot#91 where it described as; "Golden iridescence is especially prominent through the stars and legend. The “look” of the coin immediately signals original surfaces and toning."
Yeah. Exactly!
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Please keep it up, truly enjoying reading these. Your writing style, great coins, and overall passion for the hobby are infectious.
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
Dear T
Reminds me fondly of ten years ago when I was actively pursuing lovely examples of die marriages and the kid in the candy shop feeling! Thanks for sharing all your irrational exuberance with all of us. You continue to build and develop a truely great eye for superb early halves
I love all the research and tracking down of coins you did with some of your wins. I often wonder when I'm looking at old capped bust halves in various old auction catalogs if the ones slabbed by the unloved companies are out there and people have no clue that they came from well known collections. I look on eBay from time to time but never found any of them.
It was weird that two auctions with a sizable bust half collection were going on at the same time. None of my bids won but I was a very timid proxy bidder as I found out how much I would be spending on a tooth that morning which really took the wind out of my sails.
Another beauty @pursuitofliberty .
I had picked out 4 to bid on in this auction and each exceeded what was determined to be fair prices. I need to learn to see the beauty in ugly photos and bid on ones people don't want. I will do better next time.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Great story and that is a great looking 1827!
I even did a GTG for myself and nailed it! Hey, that’s pretty impressive for me!😳
Congrats on this and all your major scores it sounds like you made!
@pursuitofliberty. Killer coins. Original color and surfaces are tough to beat! And even tougher to ever find. Sounds like you skipped any opportunity costs at least. Timing means a lot.
Love your thread. Please post more.
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
Nice additions!
I can’t get the image of you naked in the rain out of my mind.
Electro shock therapy scheduled for tomorrow. If that doesn’t work considering a lobotomy.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Okay before I start tonight I have to say thank you all for all the great messages, both here and in my PM box, and all the funny comments here too. You are all awesome and I appreciate it.
Also I do know who the seller is, although I do not know him and I've never met him in person. I was told by a friend that he is in okay health, which I did have some concern over.
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Okay, probably only one tonight, but we'll have a few more before I'm done.
Today has just been a very long day.
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Have I said, “Way too many”? “Sensory overload”?
Can you see it?
It’s hard to describe if you haven’t been there. Even if you have. I think with coins I have been here a couple times before, years ago, but it’s been a long time. And even then, it was not the same as this.
None of this takes away from my excitement of, or my appreciation of these wonderful coins. It’s just an unusual feeling. Almost an out-of-body moment, in retrospect. Surreal.
The funny thing is about an auction like this, it’s hard to look away. It’s hard to step back. The list is still there. There are still discretionary funds in the account. I had budgeted for all of this.
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Another coin of good value dropped to my bid, less than my maximum and at a discount to its last sale. Not as highly rated on my list as the last few, but still a nice, solid coin.
There were another 40 lots until my next target. I got up and stretched a bit.
I wasn’t the only one becoming numb. @pnies20 was feeling it too.
Our comments had slowed. There was another auction going on simultaneously now, with even more CBH’s (which we both miffed on terribly). It was all just a little bizarre.
.
Another MB#55 coin?
Oh, you know it was.
With a massive estimate from then, and an equally impressive closing price.
So, maybe not a target so much as a, “I’m watching, and I might bid”.
Probably no possible chance, I thought. Especially not at my limit.
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I should explain this coin is also not the look I usually go after for CBH’s. I have proclaimed my love for dirty girls with nice skin and some character … and they are my love.
This one looks more like a blast Morgan Dollar … here in hand, she’s more of a porcelain doll stuck in the house of surfers and climbers and other bohemians.
But there is something to be said for R.5 coins, with or without a – or + designator to the rarity. Especially those in the Condition Census.
And frankly coins with an outstanding strike, from early die states, with excellent luster and that almost Proof-like texture are always worth a look.
And so, the bidding came, and I participated.
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Again I reached my maximum.
This time I stood up from my computer, wanting to refill my iced tea before another long wait between the last few lots on my list. I knew I was done. No way was this going to hold.
I walked to the doorway of the office and looked back at the screen.
I froze.
What?!
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Really?
Holy mother … really??!!
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And yet, here she is …
1829 O-106 (106.1), PCGS AU58
Formerly MB55, Lot#96. "A showpiece coin with dazzling strike and luster! The reverse flaunts prooflike surfaces. PCGS adopted the low end of possible grades. The coin never circulated. With a loupe and some imagination, you might detect cabinet friction on the cheek. The reverse will reject such efforts. I’ve said that high-grade R.5s are caviar to advanced collectors. Here is a delightful ½ oz. helping."
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Yikes. Akin to "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"
Wow, THAT is one stunning coin!
Congrats, big time!👍
These coins are gorgeous. And I love reading about and getting great deals!
But what's this Stephenville? And "WASTING AWAY IN," what's that all about? Somebody mentioned it's an Heritage Auction? Let's see if I can somehow find it on the Heritage website. Sure enough on September 25th, 2023. $550,000 for this one owner stand alone collection with 525+ bidders. And 115 CACs out of 580 coins! Some CACs going for a little over $100.
That's a lot of CBHs. Rather than put down Heritage's marketing, is it simply possible there were two many coins for the market to absorb; especially, if there was another CBH auction going on elsewhere?
Timing is everything and perhaps one of the two auction houses should have delayed their sale for the benefit of the seller?
@DisneyFan
"Wasting away in Stephenville" is a play on words.
Think Jimmy Buffet, Margaritaville.
I'm not bashing anybody. But not only was the Stephenville auction up, but also another auction was up at the same time from Heritage, also showcasing CBH's.
The owner of the Stephenville collection had quite a few very, very nice coins. It's unfortunate that they were all sold at the same time where the market couldn't absorb them correctly. I was happy to know that it was not a health issue.
I won't second-guess any of the marketing because I don't know why it was set up the way it was.
I just know it was a very different experience for me, and I think also it was for @Pnies20 as well. However I am very glad we both did our homework on this one.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
@pursuitofliberty Your coins are only superseded by your stories! Excellent storytelling and real EYE CANDY for certain. Congratulations on a fabulous haul and some favorable deals. I very much look forward to more of your tales and wish you continued success in your "pursuitofliberty"
It was The same auction house.
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
WOW!!
Very nice. Always a bonus when it is an MB coin and includes photos by Lance. Great addition to your outstanding collection of Bust Half Dollars.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Wow Todd. I’m loving the stories and absolute thrill you’re recounting for us. Makes me envious and a bit disappointed I missed out on this opportunity (particularly that 1814/13 color bomb that I had aggressively bid on in MB#55). I’m very happy for you!
That was a beauty.
Not trying to hijack the thread but I think it fits given the theme of MB55
I won one that I got blown out on in MB55. The E/A with a CAC sticker. It is unbelievable for the grade and a “Paul coin”
I also won one I had my eye on but didn’t bid on in MB55: 1826 O-108 prime. Used to be considered an R5. Now R4ish
The rest of the coins I won were R5s from the DS collection last year on great collections.
Here’s a few text highlights from that night to add to the fun LOL
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
That says “freaking” btw 😝
BHNC #248 … 108 and counting.
Now that was fund, and great looking high grade rarities to drool over. Glad I opened this thread, well worth it.
I followed the Stephenville sales of both Seated coins and Barber coins. The only caution I will make when it comes to looking at prices is that the Stephenville group had NO problem paying anywheres from 2 to 5 times the previous going rate for coins. In fact I was able to research a list of coins that ran into the hundreds where they had set a new highest price paid: ever.
Having said that I am glad you won the coins you wanted and I am sure you know their value. James
@seatedlib3991 James, yes, this is very well known to anyone who properly researched the examples for sale. Although many of the coins I purchased were also some of those "new record for the grade" when purchased by "Stephenville", the prices here were also sometimes less than even previous sales 3 to 5 years ago. Again, not all, but some.
I have tried to not divulge a lot of pricing data, but it was unusual for @Pnies20 and I to see many coins being sold at discount prices. Not discount to the march ever higher, but discount to a walk-around at the Summer ANA this year.
Several dealers and CBH collectors have commented to me about the favorable prices they encountered as well.
Anyway ... next up
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
This has been a lot of fun. I really appreciate all the comments, the laughter, the analysis and the humor.
Hopefully I am not overstaying my welcome, because we aren’t even half-way through!
Without quite as much of the excitement or internal dialogue tonight, there are still some coins to share … so …
as @pnies20 would say …
Let’s gooooo!!
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I told you I skipped over a few coins that we would come back to, and although there is one more MB#55 coin that was on my list, let’s save that for later and backtrack to the coin I mentioned in my post of the 3rd coin.
Also, for all of the other coins on my list, except this one, I had traced them back to either the MB#55 auction, or a series of Great Collections auctions.
It should be noted that the owner of “Stephenville” had bought many of the D.S. Collection CBH’s that were auctioned by GC over the early summer of 2022. As I remember that collection’s sale was spaced out over six or eight weeks, and some of the prices realized from those offerings were breathtaking.
Anyway, like I have hinted to in several comments, I know a lot more than I am divulging about the owner of this collection, and I have known all this since last Winter. Little did I know then I would be writing all of this, and owning coins I thought may be locked away for a decade or more. However, much of what I know is not for public consumption, and I do try to respect people’s privacy.
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So, being able to trace all the other ones, not seeing this one had left me a little baffled. Where exactly did this other coin come from? Try as I might, it couldn’t be found in a previous sale … well, it could, but that was a long time ago, when she was in an NGC fatty holder. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The 1826 O-112, 112.1 Die State, without the filled S and other die chips is actually a pretty tough coin to find, and this one seemed to have pretty nice, original color. She also had an interesting pedigree, as this is an ex-Brown coin, which is why I knew where she had come from quite some time ago.
Anyway, as mentioned previously, I won the coin, at what I figured was a favorable price, and hoped she was what I thought she was. Brown had a pretty good eye, and I have seen several very original coins from that collection, so I felt pretty comfortable.
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When the box arrived, as I was sorting out the lots, I noticed this one came with the old NGC label, which I was VERY happy to see, as I am a bog fan of keeping old labels, tags and envelopes with the coins. Also, Heritage preserving that and the 21-106a tags in their own separate flips was a very nice touch. Kudo's to Heritage for that!
The coin looked a little better than I had imagined, and then, in a flash of recognition, I knew almost assuredly where it came from.
You see, my friend @lkiegwin has an interesting way of preserving old labels (which he showed me a couple of years ago). I felt that this must have come from him. I also knew he had sold some coins to the consigner, privately, at the FUN show last year. That is a GREAT story, but one I cannot share.
Anyway, a quick text confirmed that this did indeed come from him, and I soon answered where it came from and how much, and also where and how much when he acquired it … and then, as he is a gem of a guy, I received some lovely images.
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So, without a lot of hype or fanfare, and no great description from Sheridan Downey (just my own blabber), I present you with this lovely girl, which I purchased for a few dollars less than my friend did, some 3 or 4 years before me.
1826 O-112 (112.1), PCGS AU55
ex-Brown (also ex-Keigwin). A lovely olive drab grey and gold patina proclaims originality, and speaks to decades of care, preserving imperfect surfaces with a perfect natural skin.
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“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242